The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-10-22
SINGULAR ANIMALS.
rae cloths, ArmadiIlos and Great Anti
Eaters of South America.

Tao 9foths, Armadiiios ana Great Ane>
Eaters of South America.
Australia has its ornithorhynchus
and its kangaroos. and New Zealand
its wingless birds. Another example
of this partial distribution of animals
is found in South America, which is
exclusively the home OF the sloths,
armadillos, and great ant-eaters.
These sluggish animals belong to the
order Edentata (toothless), which is so
called from the fact of its members
having no true teeth.
The strangest thing about the sloths
is that they pass their whole life hang
ing from the branches of trees with
their backs downward. The structure
of the body Is especially fitted for this
peculiar position, and scarcely admits
of any other; so the sloths hang there
day and night, even while they sleep,
trusting to the grasp of their strong,
curved claws.
Sloths feed upon the leaves and
young shoots of trees. and rarely de-
seend to the ground if they can avoid
doing so. In dense forest they can
readily swing from the branches OF
one tree to another to find fresh sup
ply of food, and in thus changing their
abode they often take advantage of a
time when the boughs are swayed to
and fro by the wind. But SO great is
their aversion to coming to the ground,
| that when the trees are standing too
8. -. l> ,oaoLal IL, tbia IN naui-
Gus manner, the sloths will devour
every particle of foliage on the tree
upon which they are hanging before
they leave to climb into another.
These singular animals are clothed
with dull, thick hair, much the color of
the bark and moss; so they are with
difficulty distinguished among tho
| leafy branches, and are much safer
than on the ground, where they have
great difficulty in walking, as their
curved feet and long claws prevent
their treading fairly on the bottom OF
the foot. For this reason they are
obliged to step on the inside Of the foot,
and the sole is turned toward the body.
Owing partly to this defect, and partly
to the fact that their fore limbs are
much longer than the hind ones. their
gait is extremely slow and laborious.
Seen under these circumstances, the
sloths appear to deserve the name they
have received but when really at home
in the tree-tops of their native forests
they climb about among the branches
with great ease, and their movements
are not then particularly slothful.
Armadillos, on the other hand, are
burrowing animals, and their strong
claws are used for digging in the earth
These creatures are chiefly remarkable
for their thick coat of mail, which CON
sists of hard bony plates united at theil
edges. One of these plates covers thu
head, another the shoulders, and
third protects the hinder parts of the
body, while between these last two
shields there is number OF movable
plates of the same bony material ex
tending around the body like bands
and allowing it to bend freely. Wher
these animals are attacked they bur
row rapidly into the ground. Some
species roll up into bali, thus secured!
protecting themselves. AT such time:
the head and tail are drawn close to
gether, and tucked snugly into littl
crevice where the two extremities o
the shell meet, and the result is hard
solid ball, which may be rolled abou
and trampled upon without injury.
Still another phase of life is show
by the great ant-eater, an animal fou
or five feet in length, with larg
bushy tail, which is sometimes throw
over his body as shade from the sun
or which may also be used to protect i
, from the cold. Its long jaws are GOV
cred with skin, except at the end
!, where there is an opening throug
which the worm-like tongue is throw
out. The ant-eater, as well as tn
,, sloth, has curved claws, and it ais
walks upon the side of its foot. Thi
curious animal feeds almost entirel
, upon white ants. 1t tears open the ants
nests with its strong claws, and as tn
inmates rush forth from their hiding
place in alarm, the huge invader thrust
out its long, sticky tongue, and swa
lows the multitude of ants adhering
it. This operation is repeated agai
and again with surprising rapidly
and large quantities of ants are d.
/, voured.
= Not only is this order of toothles
animals peculiar to South America
the present day, but here are foun
likewise most of the fossil remains {
!, extinct animals of this type. Some {
: these fossils are interesting from the
!. great size. The megatherium, for il
= stance, was an immense sloth-like an
NAL eighteen feet in length, with bon'
as massive as those of the elephant, an
the glyptodon resembled large ARM
= dillo, except that it had no TRANSFERS
bands in its shield. The body W;
!. covered with one large plate OF Dor
!. shaped like turtles she'll, and Il
: glyptodon must consequently have bee
> unable to roll itself up as the armada
. los of our own time do.-Harper
a Young People